Meet Us at the Bar
by satsumio
Summary: Waiting around for something to happen isn't always the best option. Sometimes you have to hold your glass high and tell Death to shove it. Just a cute little thought that wouldn't leave me alone. M for alcohol and coarse language.


A soft breeze blew in off the water beyond the beach, rustling the sheer curtains of a small seaside bar. It was still early enough the bar wasn't full, just a few quiet figures nursing their drinks while they waited. They would glance up when a newcomer arrived but return to their silent watch when it wasn't who they waited for.

This went on for a time that was at once instant and eternal. A man sat at the bar idly stirring his icy drink when the latest arrival took the stool next to him. She took a curious sip from her frosted mug and then nodded a polite greeting.

"Who're you waiting for?" she murmured softly. Some of the others in the bar glanced their way.

"Tali," the man said simply, his eyes never left the crushed ice melting in his tall glass.

The woman nodded in understanding and took another long drink from her mug. She turned around to lean her elbows on the bar, giving each of the other patrons a long look. Some returned her scrutiny but most just kept to their drinks.

"You?" he finally asked, glancing her way.

"Garrus," she answered with a sad smile. Her red hair glinted in the afternoon sunlight trickling through the windows.

The man returned her smile, but before either could say anything further another newcomer arrived. Blonde hair tickled her shoulders and brown eyes scanned the bar's patrons just as all the others before her had. She drifted past the bar and tables to a balcony that overlooked the lapping waves of the sea beyond. She stayed there, leaning on the railing to stare out over the glistening waters.

"I wonder who she's waiting for," the red head murmured, reaching back to heft her mug for another long drink.

"Maybe no one," the man shrugged. He pulled the straw out of his drink and studied it with a fond smile.

"I doubt that. We're all waiting for someone," she shook her head and glanced at a brown haired woman seated nearby, "What about you? Who are you waiting for?"

The woman eyed her for a moment and then shrugged, "Kaiden."

The redhead nodded and looked to the man sitting across from the brunette. He was identical to the man at the bar, right down to the faint scar at his hairline. She arched her eyebrow expectantly.

"Steve," he smiled and studied her thoughtfully in return.

"Good man, that," the red head agreed, saluting him with her mug. He nodded his thanks and took a sip of his whiskey.

"I'm waiting for Jack," a man, identical to the first two, said from a back corner. He didn't meet anyone's eyes, just stared at the glass on his table.

"Liara," another redhead spoke up from a table by the back door. A man sitting with her nodded and murmured "Me, too."

"Wrex," a woman with black hair and sparkling blue eyes grinned easily and saluted them with her glass of neon green alcohol.

"What? Seriously? How would that even…" the man waiting for Tali stared at her incredulously and then shook his head, "Never mind. I don't need that image in my head."

The redhead at the bar knocked back the last of her drink and crossed the room to lean on the entrance doorframe. She stared out at the swaying palm trees for a time before turning around to face the others.

"I've never been very good at waiting," she said ruefully. A few smiled and shrugged, a few more nodded agreement.

"It's a damn shame, really. Not to say that we didn't earn this, but I just feel like so much was left…unfinished," she rubbed her forehead and stared longingly back toward the trees.

"We had our chance. Hell, two chances. That's more than anyone else gets," the man at the bar shrugged.

"I know, but…" she shook her head, "Isn't breaking the rules our modus operandi?"

"I thought it was extravagant and unnecessary explosions," the brunette woman frowned and then glanced around, "Or was that just me?"

She was rewarded by a few chuckles and then the man waiting for Jack spoke up, "Red's right though. We've always made our own rules."

"So?" the man waiting for Liara shook his head, "There's a limit. Some things you just can't do."

"Like we haven't done it before. What's one more time?" the redhead waiting for Garrus pushed off the door and braced her hands on the brunette's table. She eyed each of them in turn, "I don't know about you guys but I was given an order to come back. I don't like breaking orders."

"Trust Garrus to hand out the impossible orders," The man at the bar shook his head and turned to face her, "What are you going to do?"

She stared down at the wood grains of the brunette's table for a minute before she shoved off and crossed her arms.

"I'll tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to sit around here on my ass waiting," she shook her head and pointed back toward the door, "We've got people waiting for us to come home. You guys can sit here sipping your fruity drinks but I'm going back. There's shit that needs doing that isn't going to take care of itself."

"I wanted to build Tali a house. That's not something I trust to anyone else," the man at the bar eyed her for a moment and then nodded. He stood up and joined her by the door.

"What about the rest of you?" the redhead demanded. There were a few incredulous looks but soon the bar was full of the sounds of scraping chair legs. They began to file through the door until the bar was empty save the blonde on the balcony.

"You coming or not?" the redhead called out.

"You go on ahead," the blonde said softly, "There's someone already waiting for me across the sea."

"Well what the hell are you standing around here for? Go get your feet wet," the redhead jabbed her finger out toward the waves. The blonde turned to smile at her. They exchanged a long look and then the blonde started down the balcony steps toward the water. She stood by the water's edge for a moment and then with a cry of joy she dove into the foamy waves.

The redhead nodded and then turned to the group formed up just outside the bar's entrance. She strode down to join them and slapped the black haired woman's shoulder. She looked to the faces of each of them and grinned.

"I mean seriously, we're Commander Goddamn Shepard. What could possibly go wrong?"


End file.
